Samagra Shiksha J&K is spearheading a digital literacy campaign, ensuring access to technology for students in government schools. Presently, 3000 ICT labs have been established across Jammu and Kashmir’s government schools, with plans to add 1000 more within the next 3-4 months.
An official of the School Education Department told Rising Kashmir that under the guidance of Administrative Secretary Dr Piyush Singla, the Samagra Shiksha J&K has successfully set up 3000 labs in government schools throughout the Union Territory. An additional 1000 ICT labs are slated for establishment in the coming months to bolster digital access for students, he said.
He said 1800 smart classrooms will also be established in government schools. The objective of this initiative, the official said, is to provide digital access to students, enabling them to be on par with students from other parts of the country.
Balvinder Singh, State head at HCL Techbee, told that Samagra Shiksha has signed an MoU with HCL Techbee, under the School Education Department, to provide skill training to 12th-class non-medical students in Jammu and Kashmir. The initiative aims to empower students for self-sustainability, he said.
“TechBee is HCL’s Early Career Program designed for Class 12 students interested in pursuing a career in technology. To be eligible for this program, a 12th-class non-medical student from Jammu and Kashmir must achieve a minimum of 60 percent in non-medical subjects and 60 percent in mathematics during the current academic session 2023-2024. Upon meeting these criteria, students can proceed with the registration for HCL’s Early Career Program,” Singh said.
He said that after completing the registration process, students are required to pass two entrance tests. “Those who successfully pass both entrance tests will then proceed to the interview stage. During the interview, we also check the mark sheets of the students for the final selection,” he explained.
“After getting selected for the HCL TechBee, the students will receive skills training on the Fundamentals of IT for 6-12 months. This program comprises two parts which include Classroom Training and Internship. The candidates will be paid a stipend of 10,000 rupees during the internship,” Balvinder said, adding that upon successful completion of the training program, the candidates will start earning a salary of 1.7-2.2 lakh per annum depending on job roles.
These job roles include Software Developer, Design Engineer, Tech Analyst, Data Engineer and Support & Process Associate.
Singh further said the candidates can pursue graduation programs offered by BITS Pilani, Amity University Online, SASTRA University, KL University, IIIT Kottayam, or IIM Nagpur while working with HCLTech.
“The students will also receive the scholarship through the HCL Tech to pursue their education. The salaries of these candidates will also be increased on a yearly basis. The students can do their jobs and can receive their education from these various institutions,” he said, adding that the aim of this initiative is to increase the interest of the students in mathematics subjects and nurture future talent in IT and software engineering fields in Jammu and Kashmir.
